chest pain center

While chest pain is one of the most commonly recognized symptoms of a heart attack,
it can be difficult to tell if your chest pain is caused by your heart or another problem particularly if you have no previous
heart conditions. St. Francis Chest Pain Center is staffed by hospitalists and
cardiologists 24 hours a day who help determine if chest pain is caused by a heart
condition.

Located just steps away from the Emergency Room, the eight-bed Chest Pain Center
allows those who arrive with chest pain to bypass the ER and be monitored and
tested quickly. The Chest Pain Center is fully equipped with diagnostic equipment,
and physicians and specially-trained staff perform non-invasive tests such as
nuclear and echo stress tests, EKGs and blood chemistry tests to arrive at a rapid diagnosis.

If you are found to have heart problems, you will be admitted to the hospital and
have access to St. Francis Heart Care. If tests show your chest pain
is not caused by a heart condition, convenient
touches abound. There is even a shower area so you can clean up and return
to work immediately if you prefer.

cardiac care unit

St. Francis new eight-bed Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) is the latest milestone in
St. Francis Heart Care. The new CCU was created to optimize clinical excellence
and attention to the
needs of the whole person. The result is a state-of-the-art, beautiful and convenient
unit that improves our patients experiences.

The CCU is located near the Chest Pain Center, catheterization labs, operating
rooms and telemetry unit to ensure smooth transport to and from procedures. Staffed
by our efficient and highly-trained nursing staff, the unit is the first in the
Upstate to use state-of-the-art, flexible medical arms over each patients bed
instead of the traditional fixed head wall system. This overhead system allows
caregivers to position the medical equipment in the best way to meet patient needs
while offering convenient access to all members of the healthcare team.

Because St. Francis believes in healing the whole person, the CCU was created
using design and materials that are shown to best promote healing. Touches like
the abundant use of natural lighting, high ceilings and calming colors result
is an environment that contributes in every aspect to the best patient-care delivery.

Patients' families also can enjoy beautiful new waiting areas and consultation
rooms that are located on the same floor, close to their loved one. There is even
a special elevator dedicated to the CCU that brings family and friends from the
ground floor directly up into the CCU waiting area.

cardiac catheterization and heart surgery

For many patients, treatment of serious heart concerns starts with a cardiac
catheterization. St. Francis has three dedicated cardiac catheterization labs
equipped with state-of-the-art technology that allows physicians to pinpoint problem areas and even treat them on the
spot during the same procedure.

A cardiac catheterization allows physicians to see arteries that may be narrowed or blocked, as well as
open the narrow area using balloon angioplasty and placing stents to hold the
arteries open.

Patients with heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation may have cardiac ablation to treat irregular heartbeats.

impella heart pump

The Impella heart pump is the world's smallest heart pump that can be inserted in the
catheterization laboratory through a standard guide wire. It goes through the
femoral artery, across the aortic valve and into the left ventricle of the
heart. It pumps blood from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta and
provides critical blood supply to vital organs. It temporarily takes over the pumping function of the heart and
provides time needed to initiate lifesaving interventions.
The Impella moves the blood through the heart and to the
other organs 5 times faster than current industry devices. It relieves the
heart and provides time and options in the middle of high-risk events. It
allows the heart to rest and, in some cases, recover.
Other similar types of cardiac support devices require
cardiothoracic surgical placement through the chest, far more of a strain on
the patient at a time of crisis. Because the device is catheter based, it is
easier to insert.
The Impella pump can be used for: